


An Old Love is Hard When the Person is a Stranger

by Shatterpath



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, Stream of Consciousness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-19
Updated: 2014-02-19
Packaged: 2018-01-13 02:54:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1210084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shatterpath/pseuds/Shatterpath
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neal is musing on what it means to be family and Granny provides the ear.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Old Love is Hard When the Person is a Stranger

**Author's Note:**

> Pure stream of consciousness. Written quickly and off the cuff, like a real conversation. No hard editing save running spell check over it and a bit of restructuring here and there. I love my Granny muse! This came from an attempted to humanize Neal, who I really don't care for, to glance into who and what he might really be under better circumstances. The title is the line that pretty much spawned this whole tale.
> 
> AU in that I have no real idea when this took place. Just go with it.

"So why the hell are you here and not with your family?"

It was the wrong question and Granny realized that the moment the words fell from her lips. Neal's face twisted up with conflicting emotions and his hands tightened around his coffee cup. The place was mercifully empty and she made the decision to keep it that way. With quick efficiency, she locked the door and flipped the sign over to read closed, grabbing up the small bottle of whiskey from beneath the register as she returned to her lone patron. Neal watched her in bemusement, blinking as a shot was poured into his coffee.

"You're walking home anyway, since you're living at my inn, so drink up."

For some time, the odd pair went about their business in a peaceful quiet, Granny cleaning up and starting her mundane paperwork while Neal nursed his spiked coffee and let it work its magic on his tense guts. When he did finally break the quiet, his voice was quiet and conversational, his gaze on the wall.

"So, did you lock me in here to play bartender in all senses of the word?"

Glancing over the rims of her glasses, Granny did her best to gauge his mood, odd cat that he was. Hardly surprising, considering his background. A stab at tough-love humor was always a sound start in her opinion and her voice was teasing and acerbic.

"Well I sure as hell didn't lock you in here to make a pass at you, boyo."

It earned a scoff and the man finally looked over, pausing for a moment before nodding to himself.

"They're strangers, y'know? That girl I loved long ago and the kid I never knew I had."

She nodded wisely. The details changed, but it was a tale as old as time.

"I want to be their family, but I'm really not. Biology and a shared chunk of past doesn't get me that."

It was a far wiser statement than Granny would have given the man credit for. Boy would she given her eye teeth to have been along on that Neverland trip...

"An old love is hard when the person is a stranger," the woman mused half to herself and half to her companion. "And Henry has a tendency to … idealize. Children have a tough time with the idea of the gray areas between the extremes of black and white, good and bad, love and hate. Being raised by Regina sharpened that, as she too, is a creature of extremes and couldn't help but pass that on. But both are learning. He came out pretty good I'd say, considering what we know of his mother. Not the blonde one. Though that statement can certainly apply to both."

That got Neal's attention, a humorless smile playing around his mouth. "Here I thought you all loved the savior."

Neither of them chose to pay attention to the faint sarcasm on that last word.

"Sure we do, but she's got her flaws same as all of us. But she's doing her best for Henry and us, same as you and Regina both. Never thought I'd find myself rooting for that one, but there you go."

"He's okay, right? I mean, all the crap that's happened to the kid." Voice trailing off, Neal stared very hard into his nearly empty cup, not even flinching when Granny casually poured him another couple fingers of the whiskey.

"Destiny will never make his path easy, Neal. His mothers and even you and your father ensured that. But I think he can handle it, particularly if his adults stick by him, which you've all done once you've gotten sucked in. And we can't protect them from everything, believe me, I know. Tried it with Red and made the monster in her all the worse for trying to keep her ignorant of it. Dunno that I could have done anything differently, but I do have regrets. Comes with love, no matter how new or old."

Neal jumped in surprise when Granny suddenly clouted him hard across the shoulder. She was stronger than she looked!

"The questions are all to human and prove that you at least give a damn. More than most do, it seems like. As for family, you've dropped into the middle of a weird one and there's no getting out now. Do your best and be patient with them and yourself. Now, drink up and get out."

The smile softened the dismissal into a tease and Neal found himself returning it. With a silent toast to her, he downed the liquor and gathered his coat.

"Thanks," was all he offered as he stepped out, leaving behind a satisfied old woman with an urge to go hug her granddaughter to remind herself that the love of family was worth anything.


End file.
